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Definition of pelagic sea snake

pelagic sea snake

Plural:pelagic sea snakes
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• noun

1

A highly venomous, fully aquatic snake native to tropical and subtropical oceanic waters worldwide, characterized by its distinctive black back, yellow underbelly, and paddle-like tail, and noted for being the only snake that lives exclusively in the open ocean.

Example

"Oceanographers observing drift lines in the deep Pacific occasionally encounter the pelagic sea snake floating among tangled mats of marine debris."

Word Nuance & Usage

While 'sea snake' refers to a broad subfamily of marine reptiles, the term 'pelagic sea snake' almost exclusively designates the yellow-bellied sea snake, as it is the only species that lives its entire life cycle adrift in the open ocean rather than in coastal waters or coral reefs.

• Nearby Words

peke
peking
pekingese
pelagic sea snake
pelargonium
pele
pelecanimimus

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Pelagic sea snake. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/pelagic-sea-snake
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